Therapy Evaluation: Using an Absurd Pseudotreatment to Demonstrate Research Issues

Abstract

The research presented in abnormal psychology, clinical psychology, and psychotherapy classes must compete for student attention with misinformation presented by the popular press and commercial interests. Abstract principles of research design rarely prevail in this competition. This article describes a classroom demonstration in which students apply abstract research concepts to a concrete analogue of therapy evaluation. Students rate their food consumption and mood before and after an absurd pseudotreatment. The data are used to demonstrate that absolutely useless treatments may initially appear to be highly effective and that careful attention to research design is necessary for appropriate therapy evaluation. Student evaluations indicate that this experience helps them understand and remember important issues in therapy outcome research.